Preliminary

The situation in the South China Sea continues to warm up, and the Chinese side has a trailer, allowing the entireSouth China Sea patternIt happened.fundamental reversal。

While the Philippines was still looking for a supply route for the soldiers who were starving to death on Ren'ai Shoal, China had already given the answer in the simplest and most direct way:Since you can't drag it away, I'll help you drag it。

26 years of deadlockIs it really coming to an end? What is the profound meaning of China sending tugboats at this time?

Tugboat comes, Philippines struggles for 48 hours

In the morning of August 26th."Namtow 185."When silently appearing at Rinji Reef 5 nautical miles away, the Filipinos probably did not dream that they had been operating hard for 26 years "made fact", is about to be completely rewritten by a trailer.

This is not an ordinary maritime patrol, but aA carefully planned hunting operationThis network of the Chinese Maritime Police is woven tightly, and the Philippine supply vessels can not find any loopholes.

The three Philippine government ships -- the Merciola Aquino, the Bagake and the fisheries administration ship, the Francisco Dagojoy -- set off from Palawan confident that it was just another routine.Humanitarian Supply。

And what happened?A 48-hour sea chaseIt’s like a game destined to fail.

The 5304 ship of the Chinese Maritime Police had long waited there, like a moving steel barrier.

The Philippine vessels wandered around half a day near the Half Moon Reef and didn't find an opportunity to wander around, like a mouse trapped in a maze. The fishing boat crashed first, running down at 11 speeds, without a face.

The remaining two ships still want to hold hard, but face up.Thirteen Chinese shipsThe woven fence, even flies can't fly over, let alone a big ship full of supplies. By noon on August 27, even the most tenacious "Aquino" had to turn around and return.

Three ships, none of which reached their destination.。This is not just a failure to resupply, but also a true portrayal of the Philippines' maritime strength.

Facing the professional enforcement of the Chinese Maritime Police is not at all on one level, but on the other side of the sea, the soldiers on Mount Madeleine are experiencing the extreme test of survival.

More than 100 days of lack of foodThose formerly enthusiastic soldiers turned into beasts struggling hard in steel cages.Dried salted fish, rain, those poor vegetables on the deck-that's all they depend on for survival.

After waiting 26 years of patience, China is getting serious

Since 1999, China, like a patient elder, has allowed the Philippines to keep the broken ship alive in the name of "humanitarian supplies". This26 years of patience.It is rare in the history of international relations.

But patience doesn’t mean weakness, and restraint doesn’t mean no bottom line. When the Philippines repeatedly violated the implications and tried to smuggle building materials to strengthen that broken ship, they were actually challenging China.The strategic bottom line。

The appearance of the "South Trail 185" marks the idea of China's maritime defence.fundamental shift。

From "wait for yourself to rot" to "I'll help you clean up", this is not a simple strategic adjustment. For the past 26 years, China has believed that time is on its side and that the laws of nature will cause the old World War II-era ship to fall apart on its own.

But reality tells us that some problems cannot be solved by waiting alone.

The reaction from the Philippines was very interesting--Surface toughness, actual panicTheir military spokeswoman, Trinidad, stressed at a press conference that “a trailer can’t drag to Mount Madrid,” which sounds like comforting itself rather than deterring an opponent.

What's even more interesting is that the Philippine high-level officials, while saying "touch the red line and start a war", privately admitted that "I can't figure out what China wants to do". This kind ofThe true portrayal of inner fear。

From a technical level, the South Trak 185 has 3,000 horsepower and a traction of more than 20 tons. Although it is true that a trailer cannot fully drag the entire landing ship, but with dozens of ships around it, it is perfectly possible.Decompose the wreckage of a broken ship, clean up step by step.

This means that China is not making a gesture, but really has the technical ability to solve the problem.

The Philippines knows more than anyone else that this time China is real.26 years of game, finally cameThe moment of showdown。

How a tugboat can let the world know China again

When the International Institute for Strategic Studies pointed out in its August report,China's law enforcement and surveillance capabilities on disputed islands and reefs in the South China Sea have ranked first in AsiaAt the same time, military observers around the world are re-evaluating China’s determination and ability to defend its maritime powers.

This is not the first time China has demonstrated law enforcement capabilities at sea, but this time the meaning is completely different. Past patrol, confrontation, more is demonstrating existence, declaring sovereignty.Proactive problem solvingA clear signal.

See how similar disputes are handled elsewhere.

The Anglo-Amar Island dispute ended in a war; the Dokdo issue between Japan and South Korea dragged on for decades and was still wrangling; the four northern islands of Russia and Japan were discussed for more than half a century without progress. In comparison, China's approach this time appears to beProfessional and human.。

Where is the profession reflected? Multi-level maritime blockade, front-end interception technology, and coordinated law enforcement standards-this combination of boxing not only demonstrates the improvement of law enforcement capabilities, but alsoModern ocean governanceThe standardized operation.

Where is humanity reflected? While safeguarding sovereignty, China has never cut off the Philippines' humanitarian supply channel, but only prohibited the entrainment of building materials.

Even more impressive is the fact that China is still working simultaneously with law enforcement.Marine ecological protection。The number of reef-making corals on Renai Reef has decreased by 38.2% compared with 2011, and the number of corals within 400 meters around the Mount Madre has decreased by 87.3%.

China's marine police cultivated more than 100,000 reef seeds this year, even in military exercises, specifically avoiding ecological sensitive areas.

Compared with the Philippines' practice of "using reefs as shooting ranges", the judgment is higher.

After Ren 'ai Reef, what kind of new order will the South China Sea usher in?

Second Thomas Reef's tugboat not only resolves a specific dispute, but also indicatesThe South China Sea Governance ModelProfound changes.

From passive response to active implementation, from case handling to institutional construction, China is changing from a "participant" in maritime disputes to a player in maritime governance“The Maker of Rules”。The significance of this transformation goes far beyond the South China Sea.

China this time demonstrated the "water iron barrel line", multi-level blockade technology, coordinated law enforcement standards, has become the modern maritime defense of power.Textbook case。

Traditional maritime dispute resolution either relies on strength or international mediation. China offers a third possibility:On the basis of adhering to the principle, through technical advantages and executive capabilitiesAchieve gradual resolution of disputes.

The promotion of this model is of great significance. China's plan provides a new idea for peaceful settlement of disputes.

Of course, this shift also puts pressure on other parties involved.

The question facing the United States now is very real: will it continue to pay lip service to its allies, or will it really end up risking the Philippines?

Judging from the results of the destroyer "Mustine" trespassing in Xisha and being expelled, the United States is obviously unwilling to pay for the Philippines'“Historical Legacy”There is a positive conflict with China.

The Philippines will also have to re-evaluate its South China Sea policy.Continuing the confrontation will only increase the losses; return to the negotiating table and retain the face of the front line.The power is entirely in Chinese hands.。

The future of the South China Sea is likely to present a new balance: China takes the lead, surrounding countries seek win-win cooperation on the basis of acknowledgment of reality, and the influence of external forces is greatly compressed.

This isThe South Sea New OrderThe basic outline.

conclusion

Rhineland’s trailers not only solve a specific dispute, but also China’s rule of law from the participants in the ocean dispute to the regulators of the ocean governance.Historic transformation。

This model of proactive implementation and institutional construction will surely become an important reference in the future to deal with similar disputes, in order to build a more just and reasonable system.International maritime orderThe Chinese wisdom.